COVID versus Fibro

[Canbedone]

Sorry to out these two together both are scary enough alone but there may be some discoveries coming out of COVID 19 that may be of benefit.

Fibro affects females about 8 times more than men. COVID affects men about 8 times more than women. The assumed difference could be oestrogen hormone.

Also, the onset of Fibro in many or most cases seems to follow a serious disease and emotional trauma combined.

Long COVID seems to report much like Fibromyalgia. Maybe there has been an upsurge in Fibro triggered by COVID or they might be the same thing.

But it does seem likely that oestrogen is the differentiator that changes the outcome in both illnesses. Research has only just started on this but COVID research has accelerated Genome research to a fantastic rate and unlimited funds are being thrown at it.

Huge amounts are being discovered by this accelerated research and hopefully medicine will switch from defensive mode to attacking the causes of disease. very soon.

Long COVID patients have been offered anti-depressants to help with depression but have found physical benefits - familiar isn't it!

I had the misfortune to be an early sufferer of COVID and the longer-term effect felt much like a fibro-flare. When Long-COVID sufferers speak about their problems I can finish their sentences.

Been there, done that, got the T-cells!

I think there is some real hope here with the pace at which the science has advanced. Long COVID will get the research funds and then they might just discover what causes Fibromyalgia.

We live in hope!

High five to the scientists!

[LisaSnow FMA UK Volunteer]

Could you please provide references for these claims?

[Canbedone in reply to LisaSnow]

Hi Lisa,

Not specifically but I do tend to browse only know reliable scientific sites - for instance WHO, USA research institutes, European research labs and scientific blogs. I will hang back to comment for a while until I feel a consensus is developing in the scientific community and look or trends in the way things are going. so what I wrote was a big summary. there is some international good spirit too with world communities sharing their findings for the common good.

I have enjoyed how honest the scientists have been and how careful they have been with their comments. I don't take anything off social media because it is so unreliable and I don't read anything until I have checked the credentials of the scientist. They don't all agree but that is normal. Overall their progress has been truly impressive.

[Nelly1]

Hi

I was talking to my Fibro pal just the other day and I said the long COVID symptoms were the same as Fibro symptoms!

[Cat00]

I don't think Covid has anything to do with fibro. There are more differences than similarities.

[Nelly1 in reply to Cat00]

Hi Cat00,

If you look at the long COVID symptoms they are very similar to Fibromyalgia symptoms.

[desquinn Partner Volunteer FMAUK Trustee in reply to Nelly1]

you can compare but this could be some post viral effect that like some in our community went onto develop fibro, But they could also be relatively short term But they have a distinct origin and some physical aspects that we do not have like reduced lung function and / or scarring.

There will be some positive benefits out of this and some of the people that have experience in fibro, ME and other similar conditions are looking at this and the parallels as they have experience but drawing a connection is far too premature.

There have been other conversations on this.

[Canbedone in reply to desquinn]

Wow I so much agree with that second paragraph - there could be so many advances in medicine and virology coming out of this. It is a bit like the way F1 cars changed the cars we drive on the streets by pushing the limits.

[Cat00]

Surely you could compare any number of poorly understood chronic conditions with fibro, the list would be endless?

[LisaSnow FMA UK Volunteer in reply to Cat00]

The unwellness is shared among pretty much all "disorders". Endless indeed.

[Cat00 in reply to LisaSnow]

Yup tiredness and pain we could each have a different disorder!

[erasurefan]

Hi was really interested reading your comments and thoughts above. I had covid in March last year difficulty breathing extreme tiredness and aching muscles etc. I am also going through the menopause and am guessing have a massive drop in oestrogen. In April the following month i experienced the worst 3 weeks of my life. Extreme pain off the grid! This was teeth, jaw, ear. Attended emergency dentists doctors etc. diagnosed with fibro, trigeminal neuralgia. Couldnt even sip/have water in my mouth so extreme! Luckily since i have not experienced the pain to that level, but have many flare ups. Everything has to be linked i feel, covid, oestrogen levels and fibro.

[desquinn Partner Volunteer FMAUK Trustee]

hormonal difference has been cited many times in the past but we do not have evidence of its function as yet. Also gender imbalance is likely down to societal and diagnostic issues. Hence why we have seen it drop from 9 to 7 to one and in some other studies perhaps even lower.

hypothesises are great, theories are better but we need evidence and hope can lead us down alleyways. Need to follow the science at all times.

[rocklady73]

I said that as soon as I read about long covid. I'm sure it is related to Fibro. I'm praying that they find a cure for covid and then maybe a cure for Fibro will come along

[LisaSnow FMA UK Volunteer]

To link the two conditions is a bit of a stretch IMHO. We all know the COVID 19 is a disease of viral infection that affects many major organs including the brain. Now, the brain, is where COVID INTERCEPTS with fibromyalgia. The currently available data suggests that fibromyalgia results from abnormal neurobiology, which includes connectivity, neuronal firing, neuronal communication..etc. These "defects" lead to exaggerated sensation of pain and fatigue . The stress and garden variety infections that some mentioned are not CAUSES of fibro, they are risk factors that are neither sufficient nor necessary to the onset of fibromyalgia. On the other hand, unless you contract SARS COV2 virus you will NOT get COVID 19. HUGE difference between the two conditions.

[Canbedone in reply to LisaSnow]

Hi Lisa,

WHO website. They names the disease COVID19 in February'20 to separate this from the virus that caused it SARS COV2. So what you say is true - you will suffer the disease only if you catch the virus. The publicity name was to avoid the public become confused by the many strains the scientists would bracket under the name of the disease like the worrying strain B117 detected in Kent.

So I was actually comparing Long COVID - the after effect with Fibromyalgia where that appears to be the effect of something unknown in our past. Those two effects look very similar but as you say they may come from completely different causes

[Bruton]

I can see allot of similarities. Ifi hadnt done the research i would never have been diagnosed with sulphite intolerance and fibro. I am also convinced that allot of fibro symptoms are made worse by sulphites. Sometimes it takes sufferers to make their suspicions vocal for orofessionals to listen

[Kezzred12]

I’ve had fibromyalgia symptoms for years now kept going back and forth to the drs , had covid in June and bang the fibromyalgia symptoms went from manageable to intense pain and fatigue. My dr said to me there’s no point in looking for a diagnosis as fibromyalgia and long covid are basically the same . My argument was it can’t be long covid when I’ve had symptoms for years . Few more appointments with bad flare ups I was referred to a rheumatologist who told me it’s fibromyalgia ,he said long covid is the side affects from having covid and should last forever where as fibromyalgia is a life long condition. I don’t know what to think I know covid hundred percent made it worse for me .